Campaign Monitor picks Allison+Partners as global AOR

SAN FRANCISCO: Allison+Partners has been named global AOR for email service provider Campaign Monitor.

Campaign Monitor began looking for a new PR AOR, and issued an RFP for the work, in September. The company invited Allison+Partners, Walker Sands Communications, and Edelman to the pitch and made a decision at the end of October, said Campaign Monitor’s CMO Shane Phair.

Campaign Monitor signed a 12-month contract with Allison+Partners equal to 5% of its marketing budget, said Phair. He would not disclose the name of the incumbent.

The previous PR AOR "took a very traditional approach to PR," Phair said. "One of the major reasons we looked to move agencies is we wanted to get beyond the trade publications and get into mainstream outlets."

Allison+Partners is helping Campaign Monitor with general brand awareness, product launches, and with support for a series of roadshows the company has planned.

Tara Chiarell, GM of Allison+Partners’ Washington, DC, office, said the firm’s work for Campaign Monitor will include social integrations, some paid integrations, and events in 2019.

"We’re looking at a much more cohesive integrated comms plan that incorporates all those channels," she said.

Allison+Partners will also help Campaign Monitor with content marketing, thought leadership, and custom measurement, according to a release.

"[Allison+Partners] brought a sense of creativity in areas and strategies we really haven’t thought of before," Phair said of why the agency won his business. "There’s sort of a playbook for B2B companies and Allison+Partners turned that on its side combining B2C techniques with tried and trusted B2B tactics. It was a thoughtful and creative approach and one I haven’t seen in my career before."

Chiarell will lead the seven-person team dedicated to serving Campaign Monitor. She said the challenge for the account will be raising Campaign Monitor’s visibility. According to a release, the work for the account will be based out of the agency’s Washington, DC, office, with additional service provided out of London and Sydney.

"It’s a crowded space and as an email provider they’re the middle man," Chiarell said. "You want to make them meaningful to consumers and to the general public to really get that brand awareness and visibility that some of their competitors have."

Allison+Partners is still in the planning stages for the account, Chiarell said, and the work will largely begin in Q1 2019.

"Definitely earned media is a part of our core program," she said. "However, to get into the top tier business and some of general consumer press, we are going to have to talk about their story and products a little differently."